Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-03-25
TURKEY AND THE TURKS,
with Gliinpses of TIL Palace aud Harem
Lecture by gen Lew wallace.

season RACED over our Guy lueSlHy lHe
Howard Opera,House was thronged with
large and fine audience, assembled to
listen to the closing lecture in the y. NJ.
G.. A. course. delivered by the celebrated
soldier, author and diplomat, Gen. Lew
Wallace, formerly minister plenipoten-
tiary to Turkey. Gen. Wallace was pleas
antly introduced 10y the president of the
Y. NJ. G. A., W. J. Van patten The sub
ject of the lecture was one upon which he
is peculiarly qualified to Turkey
and the Turks, with Glimpses of the Pal
ace and Harem" Gen. Wallace began by
giving a sketch of the origin of the Turk
ish nation and the manner in which it &C
quired its present territory. The growth
of the dominion of the Turks and their ex-
tensive conquests were rapidly passed
over In the days of its supremacy the
speaker declared, there has been no such
empire since the Caesars parted the world
among themselves.
The speaker then passed to the subject
proper of the lecture, the Turks as they
are to day speaking first of the personal
ity of the turk. He showed that the pre-
judice which exists in this country against
the Turks as race is unfair and unbound
ed. Indeed, so far as religious prejudice
is concerned, it is Il fact that protestant
preachers in Asia Miner owe ther safety
and the opportunity to pursue their labors
to the protection of the sultan.
1t is IA common mistake of tourists that
every man wearing red fez is Turk
This is not the case. Many who are so
customed are of other natonalities, some
of them apostate Christian. The genuine
descendants of the old Turks are most
likely to be found at the barracks, in the
mosques, at the offices of justice, or in the
country as herdsmen. They have fair
,,,,1a nd for lou iSl
black eyes with high, arched eyebrows,
and tendency to corpulency. A race of
men is distinguished by the qualities that
indivdvalze it. Some of these quail
ties in the Turk are as follows: His
mental organism is acute rather than
strong. He Is not artistic in any sense of
the word He has no faculty, either, for
mechanics. The Turks used to be very
| hospitable. In the country they are so yet.
| The tendency of reflection among the
| Turks is religious. Their faith has under
| gone no change from the beginning. Its
chief effect is to liberalize. There are
numbers of so-called Christians who would
do well to initiate the virtues of the Turks.
| With the mass of the people the old pro.
| hibition against wine is still venerated
and observed. The Turks are kind to
their children and to dumb animals. 1t is
impossible to exceed the respect that the
| Turkish men have for women. The Turks
| are the pOlitest people in the world. Cul-
tivated Turks old and young, are habit
| ually respectful TO each other and to
! strangers The Turks are the devoutest
| of people. Their worship is simple but
complete. The prayer they make is of
childish simplicity. God is God and
Alahomet is his prophet" is its constant
refrain. Every people has some distin-
gushing trait. That of the Turks is
military. The heroic bravery of the Turks
is due to the fact that they believe, if they
fall in defence of their religion they will
he Immediately received into Heaven. The
military organization aud tactics prevail
ent in Germany to-day are European.
| No sketch of the Turks can be consid
| cred complete without Il glance at their
domestic and private life and this, of
course, means the harem. The house Of
every well-to-do Turkish man is divided
| into two quarters one devoted to the re
cepton OF men, the other to the uses of
the women of the household. No Turk,
except the master of the house, is ever
permitted to enter this latter quarter.
! The speaker here described the interior of
Il harem and the rich and gorgeous cos
tune of the ladies' The intelligence of
the Eastern ladies is that of half-grown
children who have been kept at home all
their lives.
1t is common impression that the
ladies of the harem are prisoners. This is
a mistake. Every Turkish wife has her
own apartments of which she is absolute
mistress, and she can 90 out for recrea-
ton when she chooses without seeking
the consent of her lord. The Turkish
ladies are very dressy. They use cos
metics lavishly. The head dress of the
Turkish lady is without a rival for grace
and beauty
1t is said that the Turks of preference
choose their wives from Circasslans whom
they buy. Be that as it may, they are the
loveliest of women-with the exception,
of course, of American ladies.
Is there such thing as home life in
Turkey ? Yes. There is a particularly
tender tie between mother and children.
a Turk never alludes to his domestic af
) fairs, and yet these peculiarities have
their origin in the sensltiveness of their
affection for all that pertains to the
harem. The meaning of the word harem
is "the sacred or reserved place"
The sultan of Turkey has a sincere res
pect for our country. Under tie Turkish
rule the imperial succession descends
from brother to brother instead of from
: father to son. The English have been par
tcularly abusive Of the sultan. All SUI
: bordinates look upon the sultan with the
utmost reverence, and even dread. There
is no man in Europe to-day who is the SUI
5 perlor of the present sultan in diplomacy
All the departments of government are in
perfect operation, and yet the sultan is alb
5 solutely supreme. The charge that the
, sultan is cruel or bi9oted is false. The
!
The speaker then described the persona
e appearance OF the sultan. On general oc
: casions he wears n European dress Fol-
5 the public he dons uniform On the
grandest occasions he is distinguished by
' the simplicity of his dress. His manners
! are simple and refined. He is a perfect
= gentleman His estates are simply superb
l And yet, with all his good qualities anC
[ the splendor of condition, | would not
said the speaker, live his life if the eX
change could be made. The formalities
surrounding him make his lif
= unnatural. He is constantly in dan
e ger from conspirators aud assassins
l. There is an impression that the Turkisl
S empire is fast Fastening to its decay. Tn
six great powers of Europe are contendin
- for the partition of Turkey, but they can
not come to an agreement. The sultai
knows that as long as he can keep then
:, from this harmony his throne is safe
IS When the crescent and the star do z
IS down, if they do in our day. we shall al
t. hear the fall
), AT the conclusion of his lecture, Ger